1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a substrate holding apparatus that holds a substrate; an exposure apparatus and an exposing method a expose the substrate through a liquid, and a device fabricating method.
2. Description of Related Art
Among exposure apparatuses that are used in photolithography, a liquid immersion type exposure apparatus is known that exposes a substrate through a liquid, as disclosed in PCT International Publication WO99/49504, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-289127 A.
In an immersion exposure apparatus, there is a possibility that various problems will occur if the liquid leaks into a space on the rear surface side of the substrate through, for example, a gap between the substrate and a substrate stage, and then adheres to the rear surface of the substrate. If the liquid adheres to, for example, a prescribed area of the rear surface of the substrate, then here is a possibility that the substrate cannot be held satisfactorily by a holder of the substrate stage. Also, there is a possibility that the extent of the damage may widen, e.g., when a transport apparatus is used to unload the substrate from the holder, the liquid may adhere to the transport apparatus, which contacts the rear surface of the substrate, or may be dispersed in the transport pathway.
A purpose of some aspects of the present invention is to provide: a substrate holding apparatus that can prevent a liquid from adhering to a prescribed area of a rear surface of a substrate; an exposure apparatus and an exposing method that expose the substrate through the liquid; and a device fabricating method that uses the exposure apparatus and the exposing method.